Pep Lijnders could have an opportunity to potentially do Liverpool a favour in this summer’s transfer window.
The Reds had considered a move for Red Bull Salzburg defender Oumar Solet in January (Fabrizio Romano) but ultimately decided not to pursue the Frenchman.
However, according to RMC Sport, Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant – who’s now in charge at the Austrian club – could be open to selling the 24-year-old this summer, with the 6 foot 3 centre-back ready for a new challenge in his career.
Lijnders’ side are believed to be eyeing a fee in the region of €12m-€15m (£10.1m-£12.7m) for the player, who’s been the subject of an enquiry from a team in Serie A and is also being monitored by Manchester United.
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The intersection of the Venn diagram showing footballers who’ve played for both Salzburg and Liverpool is healthily populated, with the likes of Takumi Minamino, Sadio Mane, Dominik Szoboszlai and Naby Keita all representing the two clubs in recent years.
Lijnders’ presence at the Red Bull Arena further strengthens the links, and if his former club are still interested in Solet, the Dutchman may have the perfect opportunity to do them a favour over the coming weeks.
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Selling him to LFC rather than United would certainly go down very well on Merseyside, although the 41-year-old definitely doesn’t seem like the sort who’d let sentimentality guide such crucial business decisions.
The Frenchman could bolster Liverpool’s centre-back options if the Reds were to go back in for him this summer, although there has been one discernible red flag over the course of the past two seasons, during which he’s had no fewer than six spells out injured.
Our squad was down to its bare bones at times during 2023/24, and Richard Hughes would duly be wise to look long and hard at a player’s injury record before committing to a move for them on the transfer market.
Could that blemish ultimately deter LFC from pursuing Solet despite Salzburg’s reported willingness to sell? Potentially, but the Lijnders connection is an obvious one to exploit if the 24-year-old is still of interest.
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